Adulting Requires Cheesecake (Book 4, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 14 - Workspace

OLIVER

Luke grins as we drive towards the building he bought for his bakery and he's said that the place is run down. Not only the plan for this bakery seems reckless, buying a dilapidated building seems irresponsible. The trunk of his car is so full of so many cleaning supplies I believe he wants to sanitize the entire block. He's known for having a meticulously clean and organized kitchen space and if that place is so awful, it will take him ages to fix.

"Why are you so thrilled about this?" I ask and he gives me a quick look before returning his eyes to the road.

"Because it's my dream and I'm close to making it come true. Yesterday, after I picked the keys, I met with Jaden. He was in town for a meeting with a client. Dad suggested to me to talk to him about designing the logo for the bakery." He makes a hand signal to Tristan and Jordan, who drive in the car behind us.

"What did Jaden say?" Michael asks from the backseat.

"He was happy I asked him and started immediately making rough sketches for the logo on a napkin. He also offered help with any other jobs during the remodeling."

"Was Cassandra there?" I ask. Jaden's daughter grew up with us, but it's been a while since we have seen each other.

"No, she wasn't. What happened with my ex wasn't her fault, but she's avoided me ever since."

"Why does Cassie think it was her fault?" Michael asks. He's missed plenty of what happened around here.

"Because they are friends and some stuff she told my ex about me was used to hurt me. I wish I had the chance to talk to her because it pains me that things are awkward between us. Like Deirdre, she's almost a sister to me. I didn't dare to ask Jaden of her whereabouts, so I hope to cross paths with her here in Greenwood."

I don't know the exact details, except that Cassandra introduced Luke to one of her friends and they had a good click. He seemed to enjoy the relationship in the beginning, but then something changed. They argued a lot and then Luke became kind of paranoid. His mind went to dark places and he drank a lot. It's painful to remember that night when he hit his lowest point.

"Have you seen your ex?" Michael asks, and usually I'm unaware of social cues, but this time I do and want to punch him.

"No." Is all Luke answers and luckily my cousin doesn't push further. "Tristan seems in good spirits lately," Luke says before taking another turn.

"He is. Since Madeline got hired at the zoo, Harper and he are able to work at a normal pace. The board also offered Harper the position of head of the team, and she is thinking about accepting it. They work along well and the zookeepers respect her, so he's positive."

"I saw Madeline leaving the building yesterday morning. What's going on there?" Michael asks while wiggling his eyebrows.

"We are dating and that's all you need to know. I still have trouble placing her from my time in front of her classroom. Well, I do remember this know-it-all girl, but she's different now."

"Was she ugly?" Michael asks.

"Filter!" Luke shouts and I cover my ears. "Sorry, Oliver, he's been an asshole."

"It's okay. She wasn't ugly. It's that back then it felt like a world apart. Our interactions were only in the classroom. Then I find out that she's only four years younger than me and suddenly that places her in a closer position. I'm getting to know this woman I can't remember from the past."

I'm not experienced when it comes to dating, but she seems happy to see me and spending time with me. I certainly enjoy the physical aspect of them. What I don't tell my cousins is that some of Madeline's opinions about certain topics bother me since we don't see eye to eye. When I challenge them and bring up solid reasons, she tells me that things are nuanced and that I shouldn't look at the world in black or white. I try to not let those moments irritate me because she's a nice girl and I don't see anyone else wanting to date me.